Coffin.



(Lilo Model.)

T. A. SMITH.

COFFIN.

Patented Dec. l6, I902.

(Appliation filed Sept. 8, 1902.1

N0. 7l6,|22. .T. A. SMITH.

COFFIN.

{Application filed Sept. 8, 1902.1

Patented Dec. l6, I902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m: "cams vrrrns c0. mm-u na, \wwwr 0 THOMAS A. SMITH,

OF SALEM, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NOBLE L. MOORE, OFMITCHELL, INDIANA.

COFFlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,122, dated December 16, 1 Applicati on filed September 8, 1902. Serial No. 122,571. (No model-l T 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Washington and State of In- 5 diana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffins and Caskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to coffins and caskets, and pertains particularly to the class of such articles having foldable parts.

The object of the invention is to provide a I5 cofiin or casket with a cover, panel, cap, or lid foldable from the end or ends of the casket or theogee molding to completely close the casket and to form a canopy when in open position, with a clearance or view across the casket between the top thereof and the said cover, panel, or lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coffin or-casket with a foldable panel or lid of such novel and peculiar construction that when itis unfolded it will close the casket and when folded it will stand elevated over the casket to partly cover the latter and form a canopy and to furnish a combination closure and canopy adaptable of substitution for the ordinary three-panel or other usual panels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coffin or casket with a peculiar hinged side or sides, so that practically the whole side or sides of the casket may be dropped or folded downward from andineluding part of the top molding of the casket, so that one or both sides will hang straight down from the casket.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, and resides, essentially, in a casket or coflin having a foldable lid or. panel, so that the lid when extendedand lying fiat on the top molding will constitute the casket panel, cover, or closure, and when the lid is contracted and elevated the efiect or appearance will be that of a canopy.

In the accompanying drawings, forming 1 part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the casket closed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the casket-lid raised. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts adjusted to produce a canopy-couch effect, such parts being hinged to the body of the coffin instead of to the ogee molding. Fig.

4 is a longitudinal sectional View with cover or lid removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the slidable levers and its connections.

The same numeral references denote the same parts through the several Views of the drawings.

The ogee molding 1 is hinged at 2 to the top rim 3 of the casket or coffin. and has spring-catches 4, whereby it is latched to said rim. One side 5 of the molding 1 is cutaway and secured to the drop side 6 of the casket, and said side 6 may be hinged to a lower stationary part or the bottom of the casket; but I prefer to hinge said side at 7 to a strip 8, and the latter is connected to the lower part or casket-rim by hinges 9, so that the drop side may unfold over the said bottom rim and follow the outline of the latter closely and permit the drop side to hang straight down from the casket. Latches 1O engage buttons 11 to hold the drop side closed.

The foldable lid, cap, or cover which takes the place of the ordinary three-panel,'cutpanel, or full-length panel consists of duplicate members 12, connected to the ogee molding or to the ends of the casket or coffin by hinges l3, and duplicate members 14, connected to the members 12 by hinges 15. Hinged braces 16 have one end pivoted to the molding at 17 or to the casket, should said molding be dispensed with, and the other end pivoted to an ear 18 of brackets 19, secured to the members 12 to hold the members 12 and 14 in raised or vertical position and permit the member 12 to lie flat on the molding in alinement one member with the other. The members 14 are provided with a plate 20, having a slide 21, adapted to work thereon, to 5 which slide one end of a lever 22 is pivoted, and the other end is pivoted to a bracket 23, secured to the members 12. It is obvious that when the members 12 and 14 are put in alinement they completely close the casket; yet it may be desirable to stiffen the cover, and for this purpose and another hereinafter dis closed I provide a supplemental panel 24 to rest on the members 14 when the latter lie upon the molding 1 and which is provided with suitable hooks to engage catches on the members 14 to hold it in place. To produce a canopy effect over part of the casket, (the molding beinglatched to the casket,) the members 12 and 14 at the left of the casket are adjusted so that the member 12 will stand vertically and the member 14 at right angles to the member 12. To produce a canopy effect over both ends of the casket, the members 12 and 14 at the right are given the same adjustment as the left members. In either of these adjustments or canopy effects the member or members 14 may be utilized to hold flowers, and they are also adapted to have applied thereto suitable drapery to enhance the appearance as a canopy. To produce a canopycouch effect with the right and left members, the hinged side is dropped to expose the interior of the casket. The other purpose or function of the supplemental panel is to connect the members 14 when they are adjusted as last described to form a complete roof or canopy over the casket.

Although I have only shown one side of the casket to drop,both sides may be so construct ed, and although I have shown my device in connection only with a drop-side casket it is quite as applicable to caskets and coffins having no drop side or sides, and in such application both pairs of members 12 and 14 may be employed; but, if desired, only one pair of the members 12 and 14 may be employed, in which event the member 14 of said pair is made of such length that with the member 12 a complete closure or cover is formed for the casket.

Ido not wish to be understood as confining myself in the application of my foldable lid or panel to any particular form of casket or coffin, nor to the hinging of the same to the hinged molding, as it may be hinged to the top rim edge of a casket, should the hinged molding be dispensed with; nor do I limit myself to the use of the supplemental panel, nor any particular number of hinged lid parts, as one pair thereof is capable of performing the same function as two pairs when one part of the former pair is lengthened; nor do I confine myself to any particular material or dimensions, to plate-levers, or the special slide and its lever shown, but reserve to myself the right to vary these and other parts as may be found most desirable in the practical apcoffins and caskets, comprising an end cover part, and a cover part hinged to said end part and adapted to be projected from the latter to form the lid, and to stand at right angles to said end part to form the canopy.

2. The combination, with a coffin or casket, of the cover or lid members hinged to the casket-molding, the cover or lid members hinged to said other members, and means to hold one pair of the members at right angles to the other pair to form a canopy over the casket.

3. The combination, with a coffin or casket, of a lid or closure and canopy for the caskettop, comprising hinged end members, braces to support said members, members hinged to the end members, and the slidable levers connecting said members in pairs.

4. The combination, with a coffin or casket, of a cover or lid and canopycomprising two pairs of hinged members one of each pair being hinged to the ends of the coffin-molding, hinged braces pivotally connecting such one of each pair to said molding, plates secured to the other members, slides working on the plates, and the lovers from the slides to the end members. l

5. In a coflin or casket, the combination with the drop side, and the strip hinged to the coffin and to which strip said side is hinged, of a combined cover or lid and canopy comprising fourmembershinged togetherin pairs, a member of each pair having hinged connections to the cofiin ends, and means to hold the members of each pair at right angles to each other.

6. The combination, with a coffin or casket having a hinged molding surrounding the top edge of the coffin or casket, of a cover-panel hinged together and to the molding so as to be swung with or independent of the latter to open and close the coffin or casket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

CYRUS R. BARRETT, LEVI M. SCIFRES. 

